Verbs are the most essential—and also the most challenging—part of sentence construction in Dusun. Mastering them requires special attention, especially when learning how affixes are applied to indicate different tenses, forms, or functions. Unlike adjectives or other word types, Dusun verbs can be heavily modified with prefixes, suffixes, infixes, and reduplication, sometimes producing more than 50 derived forms from a single root verb.
To gain confidence, learners are encouraged to explore as many verb examples as possible in the Dictionary, especially within complete sentences. Pay close attention to how root verbs are transformed and used in context. Practicing these patterns actively is key to fluency.
The Dictionary and Quizzes provided on this site are designed to expose learners to a wide range of verb forms— present, future, past, and more. For now, we will not include detailed examples in this section, as they are already well-covered in other lessons and exercises.
Below is a summary of common affixes and what they express:
| Type | Affix | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desire / Intention | si- | siboli, siodop | want to buy, sleepy (want to sleep) |
| Ability / Capability | ka-/ko- | kagampot, kokito | can reach, can see |
| Causation (to make...) | papa-/popo- | papaakan, popotungag | feed, wake someone |
| Adjectival Forms | a-/o- | atakad, oinum | climbable, drinkable |
| Scattered/Repeated Action | sang-/song- + reduplication | songihad-ihad, sangtangkus-tangkus | crying all over, running around |
| Past Tense (receiver-focus) | in (infix) | tinandang | was kicked |
| Past Tense (doer-focus) | minan- | minanandang | kicked |
| Future Tense | mongoi + verb | mongoi oku akan | I will eat / I’m going to eat |
| Future (emphatic) | -an / -on | akanon, igitan | will eat, will hold |
| Present Tense | ma- / mo- | manandang, monulis | kicking, writing |
Many verbs can take multiple combinations of these affixes depending on the context. That’s why a single root verb like tangkus (run) can produce dozens of forms with varied meanings.